Adam Pash

DIY web site Curbly suggests that a bit of vanilla extract added to a gallon of paint should take the overbearing smell out of the painting project.

Unfortunately the Curbly post is rather scant on information, and since I've never tried this myself, I did a bit of Google research. If the volume of results are any indication, a lot of people rely on this trick to avoid smelly paint nausea. For a little more specificity, WikiHow recommends one tablespoon of vanilla extract per gallon, and emphasizes that the extract should be clear to avoid discoloration of your paint. If anyone's ever tried this, let us know how it worked for you in the comments. Photo by prettywar-stl.— Adam Pash